Baffle support for suspended ceiling construction



June 17, 1969 w, 5EG|L ETAL BAFFLE SUPPORT FOR SUSPENDED CEILINGCONSTRUCTION 1967 Sheet Filed May 24 INVENTORS W. SEGIL ARTHUR RICHARDN. WHITE 2am? ATTORNEY June 17, 1969 w SEG|| ETAL 3,450,871

BAFFLE SUPPORT FOR SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 24, 1967Sheet of 2 INVENTORS ARTHUR W SEGIL RICHARD N. WHITE ATTORNEY 3,450,871BAFFLE SUPPORT FOR SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Arthur W. Segil, 1209Lincoln Ave., South Highland Park, Ill. 60035, and Richard N. White,1300 Lee St., Des Plaines, Ill. 60016 Filed May 24, 1967, Ser. No.640,885 Int. Cl. F21s 3/00; E04f 19/00 U.S. Cl. 240-9 4 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Suspended ceilings are constructed to supply lightingand conditioned air to the space below, and where the space is dividedby partitions into smaller units, not only must ventilation be suppliedto smaller areas, but in many cases special communication equipment andauxiliary light. The suspended ceiling structure is required to providethe necessary space for both low and high voltage wiring for thesepurposes.

However, modern electrical construction codes require high and lowvoltage wiring to be isolated from each other, and heretoforeconventional suspended ceilings have not been compatible with the needsfor both kinds of wiring. It is to the provision of baffle supports forsuspended ceiling construction capable of accommodating both kinds ofwiring that this application is especially directed.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object ofthis invention to provide a ceiling baflle support for accommodatingboth high and low voltage wiring for electrical load devices supportedby the baflle supports, and for electrical load devices in the spacebelow the structure.

An ancillary object is to provide a baflle support having a pair ofwireways therein which selectively may be isolated from each other, sothat each wireway may have power leads therein at a particular potentialdifferent from the other.

Yet another object is to provide a baflle support having a wirewaytherein for leads supplying power to elongated fluorescent luminariesextending between a pair of such baflle supports, such wireway beingcharacterized by structure for supporting and locating a receptacle forsupporting the luminaire.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a typical module of a suspended ceilingstructure having the improvements according to the present inventionembodied therein;

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of a pair of baflle supports foreach suspended ceiling;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken through a main bafilesupport and baflle of the module seen in FIG. 1, looking at the sides ofthe cross batfles and cross baffle supports intersecting such mainbaflle;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken through a cross baflle ofthe module seen in FIG. 1, looking at the side of a main baffleintersecting such cross bafile, and a ventilating bafiie intersectingsuch cross baflle; and

nited States Patent 3,450,871 Patented June 17, 1969 FIG. 5 is a detailvertical cross sectional view through a main bafile support showing anupper wireway for the main baflie, and showing a fluorescent luminaireballast transformer secured in the upper wireway.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the improvementsaccording to the present invention are embodied in a typical module of asuspended ceiling construction denoted by the reference numeral 10 andconsisting of laterally spaced main baflles 11 and laterally spacedcross baflles 12. The latter may be joined at each end to the end of amain baflie 1-1 in a manner as is shown in an application of Segil andWhite, Ser. No. 558,723, filed June 20, 1966 for Suspended CeilingConstruction. A ventilating baffle 13 extends in parallel relationshipto the main baffles 11, and midway therebetween, between the two crossbaflles 12, and may be constructed as is seen in Segil and Whiteapplication Ser. No. 558,770, filed June 20, 1966, now Patent No.3,361,050 for Ventilating Battle for Suspended Construction.

Luminaires 14 extend between the cross baffles 12 in parallelrelationship to the ventilating bafile 13 and main bafile 11, andgenerally midway therebetween. Reflecting or diffusing baflles 16 mayextend between a main baffle 11 and ventilating baflfle 13 in a mannerwell known in the art, for the purpose generally of concealing theluminaire 14. The manner of securing such reflecting or diffusingbaffles 16 at their ends to the main baflies 11 and the ventilatingbaflles 13 form no part of the present invention.

The main and cross baffles 11 and 12 are adapted to be supported fromextrusions of light weight metal, such as aluminum, as seen particularlyin FIG. 2. A main baflle support MBS comprises a box section 17 havingspaced vertical sides 18 and 19 and a lower connecting bottom web 21.The top of the box section 17 is partly closed by a pair of inturnedwebs 22 and 23, each being provided with a downward extension 24, anddefining a slot 20 therebetween. The box section 17 is flanked byflanges 26 and 27 spaced from respective walls 18 and 19 of box section17 and integrally connected thereto by webs 28 and 29. Stiffener flanges31 extend outward from each of the flanges 26 and 27.

The two inturned webs 22 and 23 are adapted to support a closure plate32 having spaced clips 33 adapted frictionally to engage the downwardextensions 24 to close the slot 20 of the box section 17 and therebydefine a lower wireway LWW.

The tops of the spaced flanges 26 and 27 are adapted to support a cover34 having snap flanges 36 along the sides thereof engageable with theouter sides of the spaced flanges 26 and 27. The cover 34, the spacedflanges 26 and 27, and the closure plate 32 thereby define an upperwireway UWW.

The two wireways LWW and UWW may carry leads at diflerential potentals,such leads being effectively isolated from each other by the closureplate 32 for box section 17.

As seen in FIG. 5, the webs 22 and 23 may be adapted to support aballast transformer BT which can be held in position by a holding nutand bolt assembly 37, extending through the slot 20, said assembly beingadapted to engage with the extensions 24 to hold transformer ET inplace. The ballast transformer BT may have the secondary thereofprovided with leads, not shown, extending into the wireway LWW.

A cross baflle support XBS for the cross bafile 12 consists of avertical central web 38 intersected by a hori zontal flange 39 havingthe sides thereof provided with spaced depending flanges 41. The centralweb 38 is flanked by divergent side members 42, each having a lowerelement 43 which is stitched to the central web 38 by rivets 44.

Each of such side members 42 is coextensive with a section comprising acertical flange 46 having a stiffener rib 47 extending along the outerface thereof. Each of such vertical flanges 46 has an inward facingledge or rib 48 with a downturned extension 49, defining a slot 50, anddefining with the divergent side members 42 a partly closed lowerwireway XLWW. Such wireway XLWW can be completely closed along the upperextremities thereof by a wireway divider 51, closing the slot 50, andsimilar to the closure plate 32 Seen with reference to main baffiesupport MBS.

The tops of the spaced flanges 46 are adapted to support a cover 52,similar to the cover 34 for the main bafile support MBS, previouslydescribed. The wireway divider 51, the cover 52 and the flanges 46define an upper cross bafile wireway XUWW. The two wireways XLWW andXUWW may enclosed leads at different potentials effectively isolatedfrom each other.

The main baffle support MBS and the cross baffle support XBS are joinedat their ends to a support spider 53 arranged as a cruciform as seen inFIG. 2, with flat arms 54. Stilfener ribs 56 extend upward from the arms54. Each of the arms 54 is held against the flat inturned webs 22 and 23of main baffle support MBS, and against the ledges or ribs 48 of crossbafiie section XBS by means of a securing nut 57 and bolts 58, the nut57 spanning the slot or as the case may be. Nut 57 has grooves 59engageable with the downward extensions 24 of webs 22 and 23 and theextensions 49 of ribs 48. The bolts 58 extend through apertures 59 inthe arms 54, and the spider 53 has a central aperture 61 for a hangerbolt 62 having a swivel connection 63 to an adjustable hanger system 64,in turn connected to an overhead structure, not shown.

The baffle support structures MBS and XBS thus far described arerespectively adapted to support the main baffle 11 and the cross baflie12. Each such baflie is constructed substantially as seen in Segil etal. application Ser. No. 558,723, filed June 20, 1966, which applicationdiscloses interlocking end members to define when in interlockingrelationship, a corner post at the intersection of the main and crossbaffles.

In the case of the cross bafile 12, it is provided with an endinterlocking member 66, see FIG. 4, having an L- shaped bracket 67riveted at 68 to the inner face of end member 66 with an horizontal leg68 riveted at 69 to the lower flange 39 of the cross baffle support XBS.The skin 71 of cross baffle 12 extends only to the top of the flange 39and embraces the depending flanges 41.

In the case of main bafile 11, it likewise is provided with an endinterlocking member 72 adapted to interlock with end member 66 of crossbaffle 12, and sides 73 movable into abutting relationship with thesides 18 and 19 of the main bafl le support MBS. The interlocking endmember 72 of baffle 11 is likewise provided with a bracket 74 rivetedthereto at 76, and having an horizontal leg 77. A bolt 78 is secured toleg 77 and passes through an aperture 79 in the bottom web 21 and a nut81 engaged with bolt 78 is reached through the slot 20 between thespaced webs 22 and 23, as seen in FIG. 3.

In lieu of a main baffle 11, as seen in FIG. 4, ventilating baflle 13may be provided, and secured to the support spide 53 as previouslydescribed. Such ventilating bafile may be constructed as seen in Segilet al. application Ser. No. 558,770 filed June 20, 1966.

The cross baffle support XBS has the divergent webs 42 notched at 85 toreceived a receptacle 83 for the fluorescent tube 14, as seen in FIG. 2.As seen in FIG. 4 also, the central web 38 of cross baffle support XBSis provided with a pair of spaced lands 86 spaced a distancecorresponding to a widegroove 87 on the back face of the receptacle 83By reason of the wide notch for the receptacle 83 and the spaced landson the web 38, the receptacle is properly located. The dimensions of thereceptacle 83 are such as to fit snugly between the central web 38 andvertical elements 84 of the diverging side members 42. The receptacle 83is moved to position with a snap action by the resilience of thevertical elements 84. The lands 8 6 resist any downward force by reasonof the weight of the luminaires 14, and they may additionally becemented in place by epoxy or other cement.

By reason of the structure herein described, voltages of differentpotentials can be effectively isolated from each other. For example, theupper wireways UWW and XUWW can be employed for high voltage leads,while the lower wireways LWW and XLWW can be employed for low voltageleads. If desired, either or both may be employed for leads carryingcontrol voltages for equipment located below the structure described.For example, the cross and main baffles disclosed may in certain casesbe disposed on room dividers, not shown. The baffles, being hollow, canhave the necessary leads pass therethrough from the baffie supports MBSor XBS.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment thereof, its scope is scope is intended to be limited only bythe claims here appended.

We claim:

1. In a grid of a suspended ceiling, a pair of spaced parallel bafflesupports, an elongated luminary extending between said parallel baffiesupports, each of said baffle supports having a vertical central web,side members diverging from said central web, a notch in said divergingside members, and a receptacle positioned in said notch and supportedtherein for supporting one end of said elongated luminary.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said diverging sidemembers have elements flanking said central web and spaced from thesame, and wherein said receptacle is held between said central web andone of said flanking elements and within said notch.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said central web isprovided with horizontal lands spaced a distance corresponding to a slotin said receptacle to locate said receptacle on said vertical web.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said receptacle isslidable to position between said central web and said one flankingelement and wherein said one flanking member and said horizontal landlocate said receptacle on said vertical web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,321,878 5/1967 Brown et al.52-220 3,359,697 12/1967 Smith et al. 52-506 3,361,050 6/1966 Segil etal 98-40 HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 52-506, 588, 28

